GRACE ANCHORED JOURNEY

As seasons change from summer into fall, so as things change and won’t be the same again. Happenings from the past can never be undone and time just passes by without returning. I look at my life and see it as the changing of seasons. Once I had walked with the humidity of summer. I had my ups and downs. The next day, I had journeyed with winter. Still, those trials walked alongside with me. I had fought with autumn which gave me so many lessons, and now I have been enjoying the hope that this spring has brought about. What I am thankful for is that with all these seasons in my life, God never left me alone and hanging. Throughout, He has been faithful. I could not thank Him more for that. Words cannot express and describe all those wonderful things that He has done. All I could do is to ponder His goodness and hide them in my heart.

We all go through different seasons. Season of joy. Season of reaping. Season of pain and suffering. Season of grief and sorrow. Season of trials and testing. No matter what season that will be, we need to face it. As we embrace each season in our lives, our faith is tested. More so, those challenging season will reveal our hearts before Him. There are times when we don’t want the things that are happening before our very eyes. We feel dismayed because we don’t want how our lives are slowly being unfolded. It is not the way we dream or plan. It gives us doubts and maybe come to the point of asking ourselves, “Did I do the right thing?” I had that season, too. Nevertheless, God, in His mercy allows me to see the beauty in the new path that He wants me to travel. Those lonely, bitter, and struggling seasons were all came to pass. Now, my eyes are opened to the real purpose of those unpleasant circumstances that I had to go through. My perspective has changed since then. The only thing that has left in me now is praise. Praise to the unchanging God who cares and loves me so much that He allows me to be hurt and be broken. This is so I could understand that He alone can mend a broken heart and craft it to be a beautiful vessel for His glory. The word gratefulness has unveiled its true meaning. Truly, all things work together for good to them that love God and called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

We need to experience God in a deeper way for us to be able to appreciate that He is the God of all seasons. But this will not come easy. Like what the song says,

We talk of faith way up on the mountain

But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best

Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations

That’s where your faith is really put to the test.

We can’t measure our faith during good times nor know its strength during our best. True faith is put to test when we are walking in the valleys of pain, heartaches, and brokenness. However, this will cause us to grow more in the Lord. As the famous proverb states, “calm seas won’t make a great sailor,” so is a life without trials and sufferings. We won’t appreciate our loving God without hitting rock bottom. Without them, we won’t be a skilled Christian soldier.

What have I been learning so far?

To be more content as the days pass by

Contentment is not having all we want. It is not based on our circumstances. It is a state of a surrendered life.

We can have all and yet, we become unhappy. We might have just enough but our hearts are content. We might have nothing but find joy in nothingness.

When David said, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want,” he did not say that he did not need anything. However, the fact that He knew and recognized that God was his Shepherd assured him that He would provide for Him. With that, he would not want anything more. God was enough. He trusted that He knew what He needed. He was confident that his Shepherd would take care of everything.

In the same way, we can apply David’s outlook in life.

I still need to learn a lot about contentment. But I thank Him for His patience and love to always lead me to the right path.

To trust God with everything

“God, I could not do anything this time. I will leave it all to you. Help me to trust you with my all.” This was my prayer years back when I realized that I was at the end of my road. There’s no other route. I could not make any way out of my situation. That point in my life, I knew that all I could do is to trust God with everything. Looking back, that was the best decision I had ever made within my thirty-ish of existence.

I have learned so much about David and his trust in the Lord. When he wrote Psalm 56, he was being pursued by Philistines. He was sore afraid. Yet amid his troubles and fears, he trusted Him. Regardless of his position as a king and being a mighty man of war, his heart was dependent on the Lord. (And we can read how his life was made victorious by Him).

Admit it or not, we have limited abilities and capabilities. We do not know the future. We do not hold our lives. We have limited understanding. Trusting the Lord is the best decision that we could ever make.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I found out that trusting the Lord with everything gives rest and peace. If only I believed it from the start, I could have saved myself from so much pain.

That’s the beauty of trusting the Lord. We will walk with confidence and security. The God who created the entire universe is the one whom we are entrusting our lives with. How wonderful and amazing is that!

To depend on His strength and provision  

Trusting Him means depending on Him in every area of my life, especially my strength and provision. My days are full of uncertainties. I don’t even know the capacity of my strength and health on a day-to-day basis. Nonetheless, I know His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I know His provision will never run dry. His supplies will never lack. He is my Shepherd and I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

Dependence on God brings a lighter load on our back. Trust Him because He knows what’s best for us. He is our good Shepherd who is willing to give His life in exchange for ours.

To use my remaining days for HIS glory

 Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

There is not much time. He is coming. My mortality teaches me that I won’t last long physically. He is still sustaining my strength because I still have a purpose to fulfil for His glory.

This is the time that we must remember how fleeting life can be. This Coronavirus which became pandemic helps us to see the reality of the shortness of life. No one knows when death comes knocking on our door. Serve God while there is still “now,” because later and tomorrow are not guaranteed.

As we go through different seasons of life, we remember that God knows our name. He knows what we are going through. He is our comfort and refuge. Let’s not forget that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord GOD is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.

For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

(Habakkuk 3:17-19)

 

Prayer

Lord, keep me in your will. Help me to see you in every situation that I am into whether it is good or bad. Increase my faith and make me trust you more. Amen!